BioInspiration

Could 4D Printing Enable the Next Generation of Soft Pneumatic Actuators?

Although 3D printing of actuators is a relatively new field of research, interest in the area has grown due to the potential applications of highly customizable, programmable, small scale actuators…

Conch’s Strength Inspires MIT Researchers to 3D Print Stronger Protective Gear

As a kid growing up in Florida, I was always thrilled to find a conch shell intact, washed up on the shore. My grandmother had an enormous collection of them on her sunny…

Fashion Designer Babette Sperling Uses WillowFlex Filament to 3D Print Secret Messages in Natural Materials

3D printed fashion has been a hot topic in the last couple of years, and there’s no denying that it’s really cool. I’ve seen one 3D printed fashion show in…

Back to Nature: SLEM and BioInspiration Develop Compostable Shoes 3D Printed with WillowFlex

I go through clothes and shoes pretty quickly. I’m not sure if I’m particularly rough on things, or I just tend to buy cheaper apparel that isn’t made to last…

3D Printing: The Stories We Didn’t Cover This Week — May 28

This week’s news reports that Hong Kong researchers are using 3D printing to aid in heart surgeries, Minnesota students 3D printed a violin, and Magma Global Ltd. has 3D printed…

Sustainable Star Wars: BioInspiration Experiments with Their Compostable WillowFlex Filament

I’m not sure how Darth Vader feels about environmental issues. My guess is that he doesn’t give a bantha’s behind about the ecological impact of his actions, considering his penchant…

WillowFlex’s Kickstarter Campaign Picks Up Steam: Compostable Corn Starch-Based Filament

As a 3D printing writer, I frequently remind people of the importance of filament development. Why? Because many of us are in agreement that while advances in flexibility or strength are…

Kickstarter: WillowFlex Filament Project Promises a Compostable 3D Printing Future

Out in the hinterlands between Brandenburg and metropolitan Berlin, Brian Crotty and Thorsten Perl say their company, BioInspiration, is the first step into what the pair call “Organic Material Evolution,”…